said.
The ride was a blur of honking horns with this woman
screaming at cars in plaintive cries and occasional hysterical rants. I did my
best to make Ellis comfortable, but he was inconsolable. I put my arm around
him and prayed. Tears stung my eyes on the ride.
Dear Lord…
A car nearly slammed into us as she ran a red light.
Please don’t take him yet…
Screeching tires as she took a corner hard, oversteered,
corrected.
I’m not ready to lose him yet…
Car lurched to a stop.
“We’re here,” the woman said.
I opened my eyes and saw that we were outside of the
emergency room.
“Thank you,” I said as I pulled Ellis from the car. ER techs
rushed to our aid, having seen our dilemma. They put Ellis on a gurney and
rushed him away for examination.
I found myself standing alone in a waiting room. I scuffed my
boot on the floor, and gathered my thoughts. I pulled my phone from my pocket
and dialed.
“Hello?” it was Isaac on the third ring.
“Isaac, we’re in the hospital. Ellis had a heart attack,” I
explained. He asked where and I told him as best I could.
“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” Isaac said.
“I need to find Blake Harrison.”
“James, do you really think he had something to do with
this?” Isaac asked.
“Somebody wants my father dead. Blown up, run over or
grabbing his chest. I want whoever is after him, Isaac.”
“But Blake Harrison?” Isaac said.
“Where is he?”
I realized that my voice was raised. The charge nurse was
glaring at me. Not that I cared, but I didn’t want to attract attention and
that tough old nurse could probably whip my ass.
“Harrison is booked to speak at a fundraiser,” Isaac said.
He gave me the address of a venue that was well-known locally. “James, listen
to me. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“You know me,” I said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said. “I’m not posting your
bail.”
I rang off and headed for the door.
“Mr. Marlowe?” The voice came from behind me. I turned and
saw a doctor in scrubs jogging toward me.
“Yes, sir?” I said.
“I have some news about your father,” he said. “I’m Dr.
Danforth.”
“James,” I said shaking his hand. Danforth was kind in his
face, wise around his eyes with salt and pepper hair.
“Let’s walk this way,” he said. Fateful words. I knew the
routine. I’d had family, friends. The dire news. The waiting in the lounges
with the other families, drinking coffee and inhaling that filtered hospital
air.
What I knew was that Ellis was a bull of a man. Strong in
heart and mind. He took care of himself. He’d pull through this. I had gotten
to him in time.
Dr. Danforth led me to a smaller waiting room. It was
unoccupied, quiet. I didn’t bother to sit.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Your father had an acute myocardial infarction,” Danforth
said. “A heart attack.”
I opened my mouth to ask him a question, but nothing came
out. I let him continue.
“We did everything in our capability to revive him, but our
efforts were unsuccessful,” Danforth continued. “I’m afraid he died.”
He died.
General Ellis Marlowe died.
Senator Marlowe died.
Dad…died.
I grabbed Danforth by his scrubs and slammed him back into
the wall. Breath rushed from his lungs.
“What do you mean?” I roared. My voice boomed in my own
ears. “What are you talking about? You’re lying! You’re a liar!”
“Mr. Marlowe, please…” Dr. Danforth managed in a wheeze. My
hand was wrapped around his throat.
“Mr. Marlowe is my father!” I screamed.
My fist was cocked back. I wanted to bloody his nose. Smash
his face. Knock his teeth down his throat and choke the words out of his mouth.
How dare he say that my father was dead?
A second before I beat the doctor to a pulp, I realized the
sick reality of the situation. My shoulders slumped. My face that had been
scrunched into a mask of rage went slack.
My hands trembled and I tried to smooth the doc’s scrubs.
The ride was a blur of honking horns with this woman
screaming at cars in plaintive cries and occasional hysterical rants. I did my
best to make Ellis comfortable, but he was inconsolable. I put my arm around
him and prayed. Tears stung my eyes on the ride.
Dear Lord…
A car nearly slammed into us as she ran a red light.
Please don’t take him yet…
Screeching tires as she took a corner hard, oversteered,
corrected.
I’m not ready to lose him yet…
Car lurched to a stop.
“We’re here,” the woman said.
I opened my eyes and saw that we were outside of the
emergency room.
“Thank you,” I said as I pulled Ellis from the car. ER techs
rushed to our aid, having seen our dilemma. They put Ellis on a gurney and
rushed him away for examination.
I found myself standing alone in a waiting room. I scuffed my
boot on the floor, and gathered my thoughts. I pulled my phone from my pocket
and dialed.
“Hello?” it was Isaac on the third ring.
“Isaac, we’re in the hospital. Ellis had a heart attack,” I
explained. He asked where and I told him as best I could.
“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” Isaac said.
“I need to find Blake Harrison.”
“James, do you really think he had something to do with
this?” Isaac asked.
“Somebody wants my father dead. Blown up, run over or
grabbing his chest. I want whoever is after him, Isaac.”
“But Blake Harrison?” Isaac said.
“Where is he?”
I realized that my voice was raised. The charge nurse was
glaring at me. Not that I cared, but I didn’t want to attract attention and
that tough old nurse could probably whip my ass.
“Harrison is booked to speak at a fundraiser,” Isaac said.
He gave me the address of a venue that was well-known locally. “James, listen
to me. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“You know me,” I said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said. “I’m not posting your
bail.”
I rang off and headed for the door.
“Mr. Marlowe?” The voice came from behind me. I turned and
saw a doctor in scrubs jogging toward me.
“Yes, sir?” I said.
“I have some news about your father,” he said. “I’m Dr.
Danforth.”
“James,” I said shaking his hand. Danforth was kind in his
face, wise around his eyes with salt and pepper hair.
“Let’s walk this way,” he said. Fateful words. I knew the
routine. I’d had family, friends. The dire news. The waiting in the lounges
with the other families, drinking coffee and inhaling that filtered hospital
air.
What I knew was that Ellis was a bull of a man. Strong in
heart and mind. He took care of himself. He’d pull through this. I had gotten
to him in time.
Dr. Danforth led me to a smaller waiting room. It was
unoccupied, quiet. I didn’t bother to sit.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Your father had an acute myocardial infarction,” Danforth
said. “A heart attack.”
I opened my mouth to ask him a question, but nothing came
out. I let him continue.
“We did everything in our capability to revive him, but our
efforts were unsuccessful,” Danforth continued. “I’m afraid he died.”
He died.
General Ellis Marlowe died.
Senator Marlowe died.
Dad…died.
I grabbed Danforth by his scrubs and slammed him back into
the wall. Breath rushed from his lungs.
“What do you mean?” I roared. My voice boomed in my own
ears. “What are you talking about? You’re lying! You’re a liar!”
“Mr. Marlowe, please…” Dr. Danforth managed in a wheeze. My
hand was wrapped around his throat.
“Mr. Marlowe is my father!” I screamed.
My fist was cocked back. I wanted to bloody his nose. Smash
his face. Knock his teeth down his throat and choke the words out of his mouth.
How dare he say that my father was dead?
A second before I beat the doctor to a pulp, I realized the
sick reality of the situation. My shoulders slumped. My face that had been
scrunched into a mask of rage went slack.
My hands trembled and I tried to smooth the doc’s scrubs.
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